The Yale Centerfor Clinical Investigation (YCCI) was createdto provide a "home"for training the next generation of clinical investigators. Key programmatic goals are to 1) attract highjy talented students and junior faculty acrossmedicine, nursing, public health, biological sciences and biomedical engineering; and train them in the use of state-of-the-art research tools; give them the skills to work within complex research teams; andsupport their professional development; and 2) foster the translation of disease-related discoveries from the laboratory into the community by: stimulating the creation of Interdisciplinary teams; making available state-of-the-art corefacilities andexpanded biostatistical and bioinformatics resources; establishing organizational and regulatory infrastructure for clinical studies; and forging a dynamicnew partnership that will integrate community leaders, physicians, and health centers. Participating institutions include the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Graduate Programs in Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The Investigative Medicine program (IMP) is central to YCCI'seducation and training efforts. It is a unique doctoral program that offers Ph.D. degreesin Health Sciences Research to highly qualified M.D. fellows embarking on careers in translational or clinical research. IMPwill be expanded with CTSA support to include nursing, public health, biological sciences, and MD-PhD students. YCCI has also created a Society of YCCI Faculty Mentors who will participate actively in the training and nurturing of the students andjunior faculty members identified as YCCI Clinical Scholars. Pilot andfeasibility (P&F) grants will be awardedfor. 1)junior faculty; 2) interdisciplinary translational teams; 3) newtechnologies; and4) community-based projects. YCCIwill cluster research cores around commonthemes,including: imaging; specimen analysis; physiology; cognition and behavior; drug development; and cell therapy. A newOffice of ResearchServices will provide facilities for "one-stop" shopping for regulatory, biostatistical, bioinformatics, recruitment and other support services. YCCI will have an office to coordinate the University's effortsto address health issues facing our community. The University's decision to immediately provide substantial support to establish the YCCI reflects itsstrong commitment to an innovative redesign of our clinical and translational research activities.